The Age: Catchments face logging, despite
promise. May 2000

Water catchments in the Otways will be logged as usual despite the Victorian
Government's claims there would be greater protection under the west Victoria
regional forest agreement.

In a bid to allay mounting community outcry, Environment and Conservation
Minister Sherryl Garbutt announced on March 31 that additional restrictions
had been placed on timber harvesting in the Otways.

Ms Garbutt said the additional restrictions were imposed in preparation
for a study into how logging affected water quality and quantity. But
the 20-year agreement's restrictions on the areas that can be logged in
any year and decade are the same in 19 of the 21 catchments as required
under the 1992 Otway forest management plan.

The Otways Ranges Environment Network has accused Ms Garbutt of misleading
the 300,000 people in the state's south-west who rely on the Otways for
their water.

A spokesman, Mr Simon Birrell, said the government had ignored recommendations
for stricter protection of catchments by the government-appointed independent
public consultation panels. "The minister has recognised the growing public
opposition to logging in water catchments, but has tried to pull the wool
over the public's eyes by claiming there will be reduction of logging
in domestic water supply catchments," Mr Birrell said.

Ms Garbutt said yesterday the 1992 restrictions were stricter than required
under the Code of Forestry Practice and were now guaranteed for 20 years.
She said the area reserved from logging had increased from 58 per cent
to 65 per cent of public forests in the Otways while the sustainable timber
yield decreased from 44,000 tonnes a year to 27,000 tonnes.

Department figures show about 33,000 tonnes a year has been felled for
the past decade, not 44,000. A further reduction was flagged in January
in part because of concerns about harvesting sustainability.

Greg Hocking, a convenor of the Wye River Residents Action group, said
it would seem Ms Garbutt had been misinformed by her department as to
the nature of the special conditions. "We have every reason to expect
her intentions are bona fide and, of course, there can be no further logging
in catchments while the study is undertaken. Otherwise, it is a nonsense,"
he said. "I am certain the minister was not aware that the department
had set her up to mislead the public in this manner."

Water authorities and several councils, including Geelong, have expressed
grave concern about logging in catchments.